Sports
Tensions sometimes flare when gay sports leagues mix with straight
Heat-of-the-moment slur from straight opponent raises ire of Federal Triangles leaders
The Federal Triangles players in action. (Photo by Glenn Auve)
Homophobic slurs have been a long-running situation in the sports community and they continue to happen despite the progress of the LGBT sports movement. The comments are tossed at seemingly anyone and often come in the heat of a sporting event. The slurs can be sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic or aimed at anyone who is considered inferior.
The question then becomes, is it OK if the person using the slur apologizes? Does it become a teaching moment?
The Federal Triangles Soccer Club is a long-running LGBT-based soccer club in the Washington area. During the summer season, members run their own league, the Summer of Freedom League. It’s considered a safe space for LGBT players and allies.
During the other three seasons, members of the Federal Triangles are on teams that play in predominately straight soccer leagues in the area. The leagues can consist of either women’s, men’s or co-ed teams.
District Sports is a straight-based nonprofit that provides recreational leagues and tournaments to about 6,300 athletes at 14 separate locations throughout the area. Through targeted fundraising and proceeds from league fees, they distribute tens of thousands of dollars in support to other service-minded nonprofits.
Last weekend at a nine-on-nine men’s match at Bell Field, in the heat of the moment, a straight player called a gay player from the Federal Triangles a maricon, which translates to faggot.
It happened during a foul-filled first half and the referee approached the captain of the straight team at halftime. The straight player stepped forward and admitted that he had used the slur. In this District Sports league, there are four Federal Triangles teams and six straight teams.
The following statement was issued by the gay player who was called the derogatory term.
“At the core of good sportsmanship is fairness, respect and a sense of fellowship with your competitors. Yelling homophobic or racial slurs is far from good sportsmanship and has no place in sports. I am utterly disappointed by the opposing team’s display of homophobia last weekend, yet I can’t say I’m surprised. Homophobia, racism, transphobia, misogyny and discrimination are pervasive in sports, and throughout American society for that matter. The current political climate fueled by Trump’s hate has made homophobia that much worse, leading to skyrocketing hate crimes. It’s everyone’s responsibility to end hate and discrimination, in sports and elsewhere.”
Zach Strauss, director of operations for District Sports, has investigated the incident and found that the player attempted to apologize at the match.
“I have been on the receiving end of that word myself and I hope that this incident will result in people learning from each other,” Strauss says. “The player understands that the word was unacceptable and he seems contrite.”
A statement was also released by the Federal Triangles Soccer Club through team president Adrienne Morris.
“FTSC supports many teams throughout the Washington area and it is uncommon for other teams to resort to hateful speech. However, gay slurs are still sometimes used during sports. Whether it is directed at a player or used without homophobic intent, reprehensible language should never be used. Our players do not tolerate it, and we expect other teams to reject any use of slurs, whether homophobic, sexist or racist. We will continue to support our players and ensure that slurs have no place in sports. When the offending player apologizes, we accept the apology and recognize it is an important step toward understanding how language matters.”
Further inquiries revealed that the straight player who used the slur stated he did not know he was playing against a gay team. OK, but does that make it any less offensive?
Sports
New IOC policy bans trans women from Olympics
New regulation to be in effect at 2028 summer games in Los Angeles
The International Olympic Committee on Thursday announced it will not allow transgender women from competing in female events at the Olympics.
“For all disciplines on the Sports Program of an IOC event, including individual and team sports, eligibility for any Female Category is limited to biological females,” reads the new policy.
The policy states “eligibility for the Female Category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY Gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY Gene.”
“On the basis of the scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the SRY (sex-determining Region Y) Gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced or will experience male sex development,” it reads. “Furthermore, the IOC considers that SRY Gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods. Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the Female Category.”
The policy states the test “will be a once-in-a-lifetime test” unless “there is reason to believe a negative reading is in error.”
The new regulation will be in place for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I understand that this a very sensitive topic,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry on Thursday in a video. “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition.”
“The policy that we have announced is based on science and it has been led by medical experts with the best interests of athletes at its heart. The scientific evidence is very clear: male chromosomes give performance advances in sport that rely on strength, power, or endurance,” she added. “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
(Video courtesy of the IOC)
Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand, in 2021 became the first trans woman to compete at the Olympics.
Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Khelif later sued JK Rowling and Elon Musk for cyberstalking after they questioned her gender identity.
Ellis Lundholm, a mogul skier from Sweden, this year became the first openly trans athlete to compete in any Winter Olympics when he participated in Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.
President Donald Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order that bans trans women and girls from female sports teams in the U.S.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee last July banned trans women from competing in female sporting events. Republican lawmakers have demanded the IOC ban trans athletes from women’s athletic competitions.
“I’m grateful the Olympics finally embraced the common sense policy that women’s sports are for women, not for men,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on X.
An IOC spokesperson on Thursday referred the Washington Blade to the press release that announced the new policy.
More than a dozen LGBTQ athletes won medals at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics that ended on Sunday.
Cayla Barnes, Hilary Knight, and Alex Carpenter are LGBTQ members of the U.S. women’s hockey team that won a gold medal after they defeated Canada in overtime. Knight the day before the Feb. 19 match proposed to her girlfriend, Brittany Bowe, an Olympic speed skater.
French ice dancer Guillaume Cizeron, who is gay, and his partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry won gold. American alpine skier Breezy Johnson, who is bisexual, won gold in the women’s downhill. Amber Glenn, who identifies as bisexual and pansexual, was part of the American figure skating team that won gold in the team event.
Swiss freestyle skier Mathilde Gremaud, who is in a relationship with Vali Höll, an Austrian mountain biker, won gold in women’s freeski slopestyle.
Bruce Mouat, who is the captain of the British curling team that won a silver medal, is gay. Six members of the Canadian women’s hockey team — Emily Clark, Erin Ambrose, Emerance Maschmeyer, Brianne Jenner, Laura Stacey, and Marie-Philip Poulin — that won silver are LGBTQ.
Swedish freestyle skier Sandra Naeslund, who is a lesbian, won a bronze medal in ski cross.
Belgian speed skater Tineke den Dulk, who is bisexual, was part of her country’s mixed 2000-meter relay that won bronze. Canadian ice dancer Paul Poirier, who is gay, and his partner, Piper Gilles, won bronze.
Laura Zimmermann, who is queer, is a member of the Swiss women’s hockey team that won bronze when they defeated Sweden.
Outsports.com notes all of the LGBTQ Olympians who competed at the games and who medaled.
Sports
US wins Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey
Team captain Hilary Knight proposed to girlfriend on Wednesday
The U.S. women’s hockey team on Thursday won a gold medal at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Team USA defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime. The game took place a day after Team USA captain Hilary Knight proposed to her girlfriend, Brittany Bowe, an Olympic speed skater.
Cayla Barnes and Alex Carpenter — Knight’s teammates — are also LGBTQ. They are among the more than 40 openly LGBTQ athletes who are competing in the games.
The Olympics will end on Sunday.
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